Will Covid Kill Cheap Airfares For Us All

Will Covid finally kill off the desire to buy or own property abroad?  And will Covid kill cheap airfares to get you there?

Accessing properties for instance around the Mediterranean and the likes of Spain, Portugal and even those places further afield like the US or Caribbean, may not be anywhere near as convenient or cheap!

Tenerife would you still want a holiday home in the sun? Air travel after Covid.

How soon and how pricey will the next flights be? If at all?

With fears that what many people think of, as a large and favorite airline ‘Virgin’ are now teetering on the brink of going under.

Virgin Atlantic are looking for Government support to survive.

That is, unless a rescue loan can be arranged with the UK Government pretty soon.

The even bigger question is exactly when will the airlines be flying again and exactly where will they want or be able to fly to?

easyJet. Will Covid kill cheap airfares.

Although budget airline easyJet have been quick to tell potential passengers that their new policy will be to fly with the middle seats empty! Ryanair’s response from Micheal O’Leary  has been his normal predicable straight to the point quote reported in The Guardian “either the government pays for the middle seat or we won’t fly” adding “his planes won’t return to the skies if the airline is forced to leave the middle seat empty to comply with “idiotic” in-flight social distancing rules”.

Certainly, the middle seat empty solution could  ease the Covid fears of passengers.  But and a big but. This change will have an impact for passengers and that impact will be in their wallets and increased costs on those flights that do go, are sure to follow?

Shai Weiss boss of Virgin Atlantic.

Whereas, before those flights to the sun would have cost maybe £40 or £50 each way.  With planes carrying a third less passengers those fees will have to raise even further to overcome that income shortfall. You can argue some costs will reduce as less passengers mean less fuel should be required. Although they could then load extra cargo instead, another good earner, but again more fuel required.

easyJet. Will Covid kill cheap airfares?

Also, add into the calculation that Covid will inevitably make a lot less people want to be in such constricted places.  They will not feel comfortable to be surrounded with large numbers of people.

Costings Bound to Rise

Therefore, those numbers of travellers are likely to be less and the airlines will just have to charge even more!

Willie Walsh CEO of IAG which owns British Airways.

If airlines like Virgin Atlantic do go into receivership then that also adds in another factor that will affect all air travellers. A lack of competition which will probably mean that with a limited choice, airlines could well push up prices in order to just survive and or to satisfy their investors and shareholder’s returns.

British Airways Dreamliner the aircraft of choice for British Airways.

Taking flights from where I am based here in the UK. Currently there are around only 10 British Airways flights set to start operating mainly to the India, China and USA from May 1^st. A few are running to the US and India at the moment.

Another question you have to ask.  Will there be health restrictions at both ends of your flight.  Will you have to have had a Covid test in order to qualify just to get on the plane, A Covid passport in effect.  Plus, what happens at your destination?

Michael O’Leary Chief Executive of Ryanair. “idiotic” in-flight social distancing rules”

Would you have to go into isolation for a period of days, in many places around the world …14 days! Just not practical.

Will Covid Kill Cheap Airfares?

Airlines are in my estimation going to be opening up their routes very, very slowly to places like the US, India and China first with some key European destinations too. For us here one top priority and a major connection route is to the US.

But will the first class and business class seat spenders still want to travel knowing that they can achieve almost as much with a Zoom meeting, as we have all found out during lockdowns?

Business Class subsidises economy seats like in this Air France Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Also, it is so important to know that in the fare structure calculations take into account those that turn left. As its those posh seats that subsidise to a high degree the cost of seats of those that turn right in economy.

Thus, if that happens then the economy seats are certainly going to cost a great deal more. I am not sure if the scrapping the passengers in the middle seat option would work long haul?

Talk in the travel trade and its only talk, is saying that UK travel could well open up to some degree over the next months.  But how and what would be allowed still has to be worked out.

Wider travel to Europe and again health issues will need to be addressed between destinations. Issues like travel insurance, that too will mean increases in costs there?

Insurance risks changed after Covid more care needed by travellers as they book trips!

Travellers will have to think and plan longer and harder about potential travel insurance risks.  Something that pre Covid they never even gave it a moment’s thought.

Something that I was told a long time ago. The big print giveth, the small print taketh away!

Air ambulance plane operated by CEGA could get you home if your travel insurance is sound.

With clients having to be sure that if they travelled abroad would they be covered if they suddenly came down with Covid.  Would their medical cover be enough for treatment or even pay for an air ambulance repatriation flight? More reading of the small print needed for your own protection.

Seychelles. Will Covid kill cheap airfares if there are any to such places?

A likely factor now to be considered after Covid, yet more possible costs?

The New Normal?

The ease and low cost that we have been able to enjoy in order to travel abroad in the past, has I fear, now totally gone.

If and I do not own a holiday property I would certainly think that selling one if I did, would be a really great option.

I really do not think that the cheap fares that were once possible and widely available should now to be consigned to a thing of the past.

They will have to fade from the memory in the same way a wave washes over your sand castle on the beach at high tide.

That was the past…welcome to the future!

F O Covid_19 Advice

The Foreign Office is recommending people don’t go abroad “indefinitely” in an effort to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.